Wearing the American Flag Insensitive?? WTH??
I am a down to earth daughter of the South who has been gifted with a caring heart, a mind that reacts to illogical absurdities and a mouth that is prone to running off a bit (a touch more often than the Lord would probably like sometimes) over life’s inequities.
Today ALL THREE of those body parts are engaged, friends and kinfolk, because today I just read about something it has set my grits to bubbling over! [ I apologize in advance for those who are allergic to metaphor and redundancy-- I use them both sometimes to help me make a point or two, as you will soon see.]
Recently some American high school students (out near San Francisco, I know, but that is still America doggone it) wore some T-shirts that had the American flag on them and it got them kicked out of school for their trouble. Happened on the 5th of May -- Cinco de Mayo, get it? -- a day which commemorates some MEXICAN folks whomping up on some FRENCH folks during the Battle of Puebla, in MEXICO (and hey, good on 'em I say, but when did Mexico become America). So when those American kids wore their country's flag on the 5th of May, 2010 --- did I mention that I am referring to California the US State– not Baja California, the Mexican state --- when those US High School students wore the Stars and Stripes, their US High School principal -- showing the leadership and patriotism I have come to expect from US public High School principals in the last decade or so – this paragon of bravery and virtue barred his students from wearing the stars and stripes and sent our country's flag home, along with the children who wore it.
OK, I admit it -- to me Cinco de Mayo has always been pretty much just another excuse to have a margarita. A drinking and eating establishment that I would sometimes frequent in my mis-spent youth used to put cute little Mexican flags in their tequila drinks on 5 May, about where the umbrella might go in a fancier drink. After margarita #2 or so, I might even wave the tiny little drink flag around a bit and reflect very lightly on the fact that we have a neighbor to our south that, Pancho Villa and Santa Anna not withstanding, is by-and-large full of some more or less nice folks. There, for me anyway, is where the holiday (remember, NOT AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY) pretty much began and ended. Gotta say I never really put much thought into the Battle of Puebla.
All that to say that I guess I am dismayed but not really surprised that an American educator would determine that wearing the stars and stripes is somehow offensive to the sensitivities of the Mexican kids and/or the Mexican American kids on that day, many of whom I'd bet were busily waving the MEXICAN flag all around school. A large one it is to be presumed and without the benefit it is also to be presumed (and hoped for) -- of margaritas.
Tell you what -- I'd be willing to not care if anyone of any ancestry tied to any country who wants to wear or wave the flags of that country (be it Mexico, Holland or Pago Pago, I do not care) on whatever high holy days are important to their particular country. But for goodness' sakes, please dont prevent Americans (or anyone, for that matter) from wearing the AMERICAN flag IN AMERICA on any damn day they want to!
The same AMERICAN flag (minus some stars) that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner when he saw that the British couldn't shoot it down in the War of 1812. This same flag that a lot of brave Marines and their equally brave Navy Corpsmen fought to get up Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima in the hell that was the island hopping campaign of WWII. The same flag (and by granny I am proud to say it is the ONLY flag) sticking in the sunny soil of the Moon. Some high school principal has deemed that this US flag is inappropriate to wear on ANOTHER COUNTRY'S HOLIDAY in an AMERICAN High School. I bet other schools have the same policy. Probably a lot of them.
I don’t like where this country is going. And no American should.
Today ALL THREE of those body parts are engaged, friends and kinfolk, because today I just read about something it has set my grits to bubbling over! [ I apologize in advance for those who are allergic to metaphor and redundancy-- I use them both sometimes to help me make a point or two, as you will soon see.]
Recently some American high school students (out near San Francisco, I know, but that is still America doggone it) wore some T-shirts that had the American flag on them and it got them kicked out of school for their trouble. Happened on the 5th of May -- Cinco de Mayo, get it? -- a day which commemorates some MEXICAN folks whomping up on some FRENCH folks during the Battle of Puebla, in MEXICO (and hey, good on 'em I say, but when did Mexico become America). So when those American kids wore their country's flag on the 5th of May, 2010 --- did I mention that I am referring to California the US State– not Baja California, the Mexican state --- when those US High School students wore the Stars and Stripes, their US High School principal -- showing the leadership and patriotism I have come to expect from US public High School principals in the last decade or so – this paragon of bravery and virtue barred his students from wearing the stars and stripes and sent our country's flag home, along with the children who wore it.
OK, I admit it -- to me Cinco de Mayo has always been pretty much just another excuse to have a margarita. A drinking and eating establishment that I would sometimes frequent in my mis-spent youth used to put cute little Mexican flags in their tequila drinks on 5 May, about where the umbrella might go in a fancier drink. After margarita #2 or so, I might even wave the tiny little drink flag around a bit and reflect very lightly on the fact that we have a neighbor to our south that, Pancho Villa and Santa Anna not withstanding, is by-and-large full of some more or less nice folks. There, for me anyway, is where the holiday (remember, NOT AN AMERICAN HOLIDAY) pretty much began and ended. Gotta say I never really put much thought into the Battle of Puebla.
All that to say that I guess I am dismayed but not really surprised that an American educator would determine that wearing the stars and stripes is somehow offensive to the sensitivities of the Mexican kids and/or the Mexican American kids on that day, many of whom I'd bet were busily waving the MEXICAN flag all around school. A large one it is to be presumed and without the benefit it is also to be presumed (and hoped for) -- of margaritas.
Tell you what -- I'd be willing to not care if anyone of any ancestry tied to any country who wants to wear or wave the flags of that country (be it Mexico, Holland or Pago Pago, I do not care) on whatever high holy days are important to their particular country. But for goodness' sakes, please dont prevent Americans (or anyone, for that matter) from wearing the AMERICAN flag IN AMERICA on any damn day they want to!
The same AMERICAN flag (minus some stars) that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner when he saw that the British couldn't shoot it down in the War of 1812. This same flag that a lot of brave Marines and their equally brave Navy Corpsmen fought to get up Mount Surabachi on Iwo Jima in the hell that was the island hopping campaign of WWII. The same flag (and by granny I am proud to say it is the ONLY flag) sticking in the sunny soil of the Moon. Some high school principal has deemed that this US flag is inappropriate to wear on ANOTHER COUNTRY'S HOLIDAY in an AMERICAN High School. I bet other schools have the same policy. Probably a lot of them.
I don’t like where this country is going. And no American should.
posted by Pamela Furr at
1:15 PM
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